Browns rookie Nick Harris has fan favorite potential: ‘He finds a way to put his flavor on stuff’

Nate Ulrich Beacon Journal

Saturday

May 2, 2020 at 9:39 AMMay 2, 2020 at 4:21 PM

Nick Harris took a black permanent marker to a white T-shirt and wrote, "WE DONT LOSE TO COUGS."

Later, Harris rolled up his purple jersey to reveal the message after he and the Washington Huskies defeated the rival Washington State Cougars in November for the program’s seventh consecutive victory in the Apple Cup.

Cleveland sports fans would probably erect a statue if a Browns player were to apply the same treatment to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Well, Harris can dream now.

"He’s got some swag," Washington offensive line coach Scott Huff said in a recent phone interview. "He finds a way to put his flavor on stuff."

A peek at the personality of the incoming Browns rookie created a viral moment during his junior season at Washington in 2018. After Arizona State defensive tackle George Lea jumped offside and knocked Harris back, the center regained his balance, slid forward with some fancy footwork and pointed in the direction the penalty would advance his team.

Have you ever seen a center with so much swag? pic.twitter.com/XrlJ4GkNia

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 23, 2018

But Harris is not always in a fun-loving mood.

As a 270-pound, 18-year-old freshman guard in 2016, Harris didn't take kindly to an opponent from Alabama spearing his running back in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Harris immediately got in the defender’s face.

It’s the moment Pat Harlow, a former NFL offensive tackle and Harris’ position coach at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, knew his pupil had what it takes to play at the next level.

"If you won’t handle that business, you’re not long for that league," Harlow, who spent five seasons (1991-95) with the New England Patriots and another three (1996-98) with the Oakland Raiders, said by phone. "To see him go do that, he just turned 18, I literally texted him right after that game. I’m like, ‘Hey, man. I know it was a rough night. But I could not be more proud of you, especially in that certain instance, how you went to protect your guy and you didn’t back down from anybody.’ "

When the Browns drafted Harris in the fifth round (No. 160 overall) on April 25, they invested in a 21-year-old player whose movement skills, technique, football intelligence and instincts, character and leadership are praised by his former coaches.

In many ways, he had to excel in all of those areas to overcome his lack of prototypical height. He measured 6-foot 7/8 and weighed 302 pounds in February at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"That’s like his whole recruitment, right?" Huff said. "It’s why this guy’s got such a chip on his shoulder. He’s not going to be denied.

"I’m sure there were a lot of teams that didn’t even look at him in the draft because of his size. I know that’s going to be motivation for him. He just needs one shot. That’s all he kept saying."

Drafted by the Patriots 11th overall out of USC in 1991, Harlow grew frustrated — "To be honest, it pisses me off," he said — while begging college programs to give Harris his one shot. He was a prep tackle but knew his future would be on the interior. Harlow repeatedly made the sales pitch when coaches visited JSerra, where Harris commuted daily with long van rides from Inglewood, to check out now-Washington guard Luke Wattenberg on the recruiting circuit.

"Obviously, you have to have a certain amount of size," said Harlow, who’s 6-6 and whose son Sean is a 6-4 Atlanta Falcons guard. "But it’s the other things that can take over and make up for some of those things with technique and smarts. And with [Harris], it’s hand placement and understanding how to torque people and use his leverage against them."

New Hampshire and Cal Poly wanted Harris, but Washington became the only FBS school to offer him a scholarship. He expected to redshirt as a freshman, which would have given him time to gain weight and develop. Instead, he forced his way onto the field, playing 12 games with four starts, two at left guard and two at right guard.

"His freshman year in training camp, his offensive line coach who’s now [the offensive line coach of the Indianapolis] Colts, Chris Strausser, sends me a text with some film on it," said Harlow, who became JSerra’s head coach in 2016. "He's like, ‘I think I’ve got to play him.’ From watching the tape, I’m like, ‘I think you’re going to have to.’ So they threw him in at guard."

He started 13 games at right guard as a sophomore. Then, after now-Los Angeles Rams center Coleman Shelton went to the NFL, Harris started 25 games in the middle of the offensive line as a junior and senior, earning first-team All-Pac 12 honors in each of his final two seasons. Last year, he won the Guy Flaherty Award, which is given to Washington’s most inspirational player.

Huff said he doesn’t know how Washington can replace the leadership of Harris.

"He played for us at a high level, and he works his ass off," Huff said. "The guys see how he goes about being a pro, just how he handles his stuff, and he gets along great with everyone. He’s a real charismatic guy. He’s just honest. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He just says it in a way that needs to be said."

Harris will likely begin his Browns career in the background, though.

He might eventually become a successor to JC Tretter, but the veteran is the team’s undisputed starting center, a point General Manager Andrew Berry spelled out after the selection of Harris. And although Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Harris entering a competition with Wyatt Teller and Drew Forbes for the starting right guard job, Berry and scout Adam Al-Khayyal explained Harris’ skill set is geared first and foremost toward center.

Either way, everyone involved is convinced Harris is an ideal fit for the wide zone blocking scheme Stefanski will run.

"Outside zone and play action off of it is just kind of deadly with his athleticism," Harlow said.

"To watch him reach a three-technique at center on a wide zone play, there's very few people that can do that."

Added Huff: "There was a lot of that stuff where we’re watching our cutups at the end of the year and going, ‘Holy s***! He just pulled that off?’ "

In other words, Harris is capable of displaying flair while blocking, too.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his Browns coverage at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ByNateUlrich and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.

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